Table of Contents
Cornered by the Quad?
Four countries will have to show that their infrastructure development plans are a match to
Chinese ambitions
November on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Manila, the Quadrilateral arrangement involving Australia, India, Japan and the U.S. saw a revival as officials exchanged notes on regional and global security.
In 2017 it was an assertive Beijing that brought the four Indo-Pacifi•c powers together to manage the externalities arising out of the scale and scope of China’s rise.
Challenging China
Initial meeting, there has been a range of questions on the viability of the Quad
Specifically on its agenda given that the grouping has often been wary of explicitly annoying the Chinese.
Last week it was revealed that the four countries are working to establish a joint regional infrastructure scheme as an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
Though the plan is still in its nascent(नवजात) stage
As Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs said recently in a media interview in London,“We
want to work with China to ensure that their infrastructure investment
Adds to the economic growth that is so needed in our part of the world
According to some estimates, developing nations in the Indo-Pacific itself need around $26 trillion through 2030 for their infrastructure needs.
The Quad nations will have to present their own model
Beijing’s approach as top-down, opaque and self serving
Scale and scope of the Chinese economic footprint can only be tackled if the Quad nations
combine forces.
Unlike the military option, this is a softer side of the “Quad” engagement and its members are already undertaking connectivity projects around the world.
India and Japan, for example, are working on an ambitious Asia-Africa Growth Corridor linking Southeast Asia to Africa
Biggest concern about the BRI is that it is a means of cementing Chinese economic hegemony
India’s opposition has been the strongest partly because the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is a part of the BRI, passes through Pakistan occupied Kashmir
India was the only major power which did not attend the BRI summit hosted by
China last May
Beijing has already expressed its unhappiness at the emergence of the “Quad” and will see moves to counter the BRI as an attempt to shift the balance of power
The possibility of major power coordination on managing global connectivity still remains
a possibility but as more and more countries recognise the limits of Chinese approach, the Quad’s attraction will get even stronger
Prelims Focus Facts-News Analysis
Page-1-Dubai probe ends, Sridevi’s body reaches Mumbai
Page-1-Polling largely peaceful in Meghalaya, Nagaland
But initial estimate indicates a dip in turnout
67% of Meghalaya voters and 75% of Nagaland
2013 and 2008, Meghalaya registered 86.82% and 88.99% voting, while Nagaland clocked 90.19% and 86.91% respectively
Page-1-Maldives rejects invite for naval exercise
Maldives has declined an invitation to join the MILAN series of multilateral exercises to be hosted by the Indian Navy in March the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The Maldives Ambassador clarified that it was due to the state of emergency in his country.
We have invited Maldives, but they declined it.
They did not give any reason, but I think it is due to the current situation,” Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said.
Page-1-Greening exam enrolment saves paper — and money
Karnataka goes digital for Class 10, cuts •45 lakh spending
Going paper-free to enrol students for examinations and prepare admission
tickets can save school boards a tidy sum.
As much as •45 lakh in one year
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